


King of Mean

by Penscribe



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Heroes, Manipulation, My First Work in This Fandom, Rejection, Villains
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-02-18 08:36:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21941266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Penscribe/pseuds/Penscribe
Summary: Jay has a no-good, very bad day and then goes a little...evil.Basically, a re-telling of Descendants 3, but with Jay instead.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 22





	1. A Very Bad Day

Jay was not having a good day. He missed his morning alarm, lost his cellphone, and couldn't find his favorite pair of socks for tourney practice. By the time practice rolled around, Jay was in, quite possibly, the worst mood ever. Even Carlos seemed to notice the black cloud that hovered over him all day. Though he tried to raise Jay's spirits, even his sunny personality couldn't do the trick. Then Chad came along and made everything worse.

The practice had been more brutal than usual, the summer workouts kicking all of their butts. The team piled into the locker room, all worn out and sweaty, especially Jay, in particular. His mood had improved during practice, which Jay chalked up to all of the adrenaline and testosterone. He was rummaging through his locker--hoping to find his cellphone--when a commotion started over at Chad's locker. 

Chad was digging through his locker, pulling things out and tossing them on the floor. Jay watched with curiosity, as most of the team gathered around Chad while he dumped his blue duffle bag out over one of the benches. Carlos meandered over to Jay's side and raised an eyebrow at Chad's antics; Jay just shrugged. 

He didn't know what was going on.

Finally, after both Chad's locker and duffle had been emptied, the blond threw his arms up in exasperation.

"My wallet and cell are gone!" Chad cried. 

A murmur rippled through the team as Chad began picking up his discarded items, shoving them angrily back into his duffle. Jay and Carlos shared a look; it wasn't surprising to hear that Chad lost these things. He was known to lose one or the other at least once a week if he was lucky. 

"They're probably where you lost them last time." Jay snickered.

Chad whipped his head up from his bag and squinted at him. Jay knew that look. He'd received that look enough times on the Isle to understand what it meant. 

_Suspicion_.

Chad pulled himself up from the floor and marched over to Jay, shoving him hard in the chest. Jay stumbled backward, narrowly missing Carlos, who yelped and danced out of the way. 

"Where's my stuff, Jay!" Chad yelled, shoving Jay backward again. 

Jay knocked Chad away from him, "How should I know?" He grabbed his duffle bag and slammed his locker shut, almost taking Chad's nose off in the process. "You're being stupid," Jay said and made to push past him out of the locker room. 

"I'll bet you _stole_ them." Chad accused.

Jay stopped in his tracks, turning to pin Chad with a glare. "Excuse me?" 

The team started whispering amongst themselves again, placing bets on who would win. 

Chad seemed to ignore the whispers and kept on, "You heard me. Stealing things is what you _do_!" 

"I haven't stolen anything since coming to Auradon. That's not me anymore." Jay defended. 

Chad sucked in a breath for another tirade but was cut off when the Coach entered the locker room. The soft whispering faded into silence as the Coach took in the scene in front of him. Jay and Chad were glaring daggers at each other, while the team hovered around them, ready to break up an inevitable fight.

"What's going on here?" Coach demanded. 

Chad cut him off before Jay could speak, "Jay stole my stuff!"

"I did _not_!"

"Did _so_!"

Coach bellowed, "Enough! You," he pointed at Carlos, who stood ready to intervene, "what happened?"

Carlos relaid the encounter, summarizing the fight to a few words. All the while, Jay was growing increasingly more annoyed. He was tired, hungry, and just wanted to get cleaned up before Mal's surprise later. This whole argument with Chad was _stupid_. 

"He doesn't even have _proof_ ," Carlos concluded rather smugly. 

Coach nodded, "Why do you think he took your stuff, Chad?" 

"He's a villain! It's what they _do_." Chad said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"I'm _not_ a villain!"

"Quiet, both of you. We're going to get to the bottom of this," Coach scolded. "I'm going to need more to go on here. 'He's a villain' isn't a compelling argument, Chad. I'm going to need _actual_ proof he took your stuff." 

Chad seemed to ponder for a moment, and Jay sincerely believed the situation to be over and done with. Honestly, the whole had been a colossal waste of time. He shook his head, hiked his duffle further up his shoulder, and turned to leave _finally_. 

Or so he thought.

"Check his bag, Coach," Chad suggested. "I know my wallet and cell were in my bag before practice started." He leveled his gaze at Jay and narrowed his eyes, " _Jay_ showed up _l_ _ate_."

Coach turned to Jay and sighed, "Sorry about this, Jay, but I have to check. School policy." 

"Really? I didn't do anything!" 

"Then you have nothing to worry about." Coach said.

Jay grumbled under his breath but dropped his bag from his shoulder nonetheless. Coach took the duffle from his hands and threw it down on one of the benches, immediately unzipping it. Jay watched in irritation as his things were removed one by one from the bag, and set aside. Coach pulled out the pair of jeans Jay had worn to practice and shoved his hands in the pockets. The two front pockets yielded nothing, and Jay shot Chad an 'I-told-you-so' look out of the corner of his eye. 

"See? I told you, I didn't take his stuff." Jay said.

Coach hummed and stood up, holding a black square in one hand and cellphone in a light blue case in the other. Jay felt the color drain from his face; that wasn't possible. He didn't take that stuff! He _didn't_.

"That's my phone!" Chad screamed, rushing to take the items from the Coach. "I told you. I told _you_!"

Jay was dumbfounded, "I--"

"Jay didn't take that stuff! Someone set him up!" It was Carlos, furious on his behalf. He knew Jay better than that, and there was no way.

"Possibly," Coach said, "though it is a bit suspicious that you were late to practice, then Chad's things turn up missing."

"Coach, I _swear_ , I didn't take those--"

"They were in your pants, Jay. I can't argue with that. I have to report this to Fairy Godmother." Coach shook his head, taking the evidence back from Chad, and Jay's pair of jeans. Chad looked nonplussed that he was losing his things _again_. 

"C'mon, Coach, _please_. You know me better than that! I wouldn't do this!" Jay pleaded. The whole situation wasn't fair; he didn't do anything. He was innocent!

"I'm sorry, Jay," Coach sighed. "You're benched until we get this straightened out."

"But...but I'm the _Captain_!" He spluttered indignantly.

"You're _benched_. Chad will serve as interim captain for now." The coach said with finality. He wrapped the wallet and cellphone in Jay's jeans and shoved past the rest of the stunned team out of the locker room. 

Jay crammed the rest of his things back into his duffle. Carlos tried to help, but quickly retreated when he realized how angry Jay truly was. He didn't blame him. Jay hadn't stolen anything since the VKs had decided to choose good instead of evil. He wouldn't have taken something as little and petty as Chad's effing cellphone. 

Chad was crowing to the rest of the team, who seemed to be torn between who to believe. On the one hand, Jay was caught red-handed (red pantsed?), but on the other, it didn't seem like a Jay thing to do. He was a good captain, loyal and fierce, always willing to defend his teammates on and off the field. Jay watched as the respect dimmed in some of their eyes, replaced quickly by scorn and apprehension. 

It wasn't _fair_.

Carlos clapped him on the shoulder, sympathy hanging heavily in the air around them. The pair turned to leave; they needed to go and find Evie before Ben's big _surprise_ for Mal later. Jay didn't think Fairy Godmother would dish out his punishment until after, so he had until then to come up with a rock-solid case for himself. He knew he was innocent; he just needed to convince her of that.

Bits of Chad's hushed conversation with some of the guys from the team floated into Jay's ears. "--just like his _dad_. You know he used to steal things all the time on the Isle. I'm not _surprised_." Chad said, mostly to himself.

"Ignore him," Carlos steered Jay away from the huddle of boys by the lockers. 

Jay was _seething_.

"Once a villain, always a villain." Chad stage-whispered to the teammates. 

Jay lost it. Carlos didn't even have time to make a grab for him before he was launching himself at Chad. It was a chaotic flurry of noise and yelling, the sweet feeling of knuckles meeting bone. Jay landed a sickening punch to Chad's nose, which was spewing blood through his fingers, staining his jersey. Carlos and few other guys from the team wrastled him off Chad and to the corner of the room. 

Chad was wailing, "He broke my nose! He _broke_ my _nose_!" 

Jay's fist stung, his chest was heaving, and he was so _angry_ he could spit. 

Today had _not_ been a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know its not the best, but I just wanted to try something different. It might be OOC.


	2. Bad for P.R.

Ben’s surprise proposal was a beautiful affair. The parade to welcome the four new VKs to Auradon was the perfect cover, and Mal never suspected a thing. Jay stood with his friends and cheered—Mal deserved to be happy, he thought. Through all the excitement and pandemonium, Jay caught sight of Chad across the way, standing with Audrey and Queen Leah. He’d gotten cleaned up before the parade, his nose freshly bandaged and free of blood. His eyes, however, we blooming spectacularly with dark purple bruises, and Jay only felt a little guilty. The jerk deserved it. 

Mal finally made her way over to them after a while, pausing briefly before launching herself at Evie—the two embracing and giggling over the turn of events. 

“You are gonna rock that crown!” Evie exclaimed, grasping Mal’s hands. Jay didn’t know which of the two was more excited. Mal went to Carlos next, throwing her arms around him while he whispered something into her hair. She laughed at whatever it was—Jay couldn’t hear—and smacked him playfully on the chest. 

“You’re Crankiness,” Carlos mock-bowed, snickering. 

Then it was his turn. It didn’t escape Jay’s notice that Mal hesitated; it was only a second, a flash of _something_ crossing her pretty green eyes before she smiled wide at him, and he wrapped her in a hug. 

“I’m so happy for you—” 

“We need to talk—” They started at the same time. Jay let her go and took a step back, Mal’s smile never left her face. She must’ve heard about Chad then, he decided. He flicked his eyes over to Chad and back, and Mal’s smile grew even more massive if a bit plastic. She squeezed his hands gently. 

“After we get the kids?” Jay said. 

Mal nodded conspiratorially, still smiling. Jay decided that he needed to lighten the mood a little—Mal was obviously trying to keep up appearances for the crowds of people. As if Chad _wasn’t_ currently sporting a rainbow on his face. 

Jay proclaimed with a flourish, “All bow to her Royal Majesty!” 

“Ah, yes, her Royal Purpleness!” Carlos continued without missing a beat, and they bowed. 

“Silence, you annoying peasants,” Mal waved dismissively at them in jest, but Jay could tell she appreciated the gesture. 

She disappeared into the sea of people, Ben at her side, happiness radiating off the both of them like sunshine. Carlos vanished soon after to find Jane, and Evie was wrapped up in whatever conversation she and Doug were having. Jay was left alone to wait for the limo to arrive. That’s when he noticed the underlying hushed whispers that were taking place all around him. He’d grown up on the Isle, he was good at eavesdropping, and being sneaky was practically built into his bones from birth. It wasn’t too hard to figure out the topic of this new round of Auradon gossip. 

_Did you see what he did to Chad?_

_Just like his father, that one._

_The_ _poor boy. He was doing so well, too._

Jay pulled his beanie down a little further, trying to hide the embarrassing flush that was creeping up his neck. He usually liked the attention—especially from the girls—but this was something else entirely. His happy bubble burst like an overfilled balloon. An uncomfortable feeling settled in his gut, so he pulled his shoulders up to his ears and kept his head down. The limo pulled up then, and another, much louder round of cheering began again. Ben was waving to everyone in that kingly way only he could pull off. Jay shuffled his way over to the driver’s seat, catching sight of Mal and Audrey, the latter looking near tears as she turned towards her grandmother. Jay took solace in the fact that at least someone else was as miserable as he was.

The trip to the Isle was a disaster. They retrieved the four new VKs, and all seemed well, or so Jay thought until Hades came charging through the crowd and tried to escape. Hades and Mal faced off, and she only barely was able to repel his onslaught, blowing him back to the Isle with her dragon breath. They returned to find Auradon in a state of hysteria, panicked over Hades, and worried about Mal. Ben and Fairy Godmother were trying to calm the frightened civilians—with little success—and Jay noticed he was getting far more dirty looks than previously. 

That was probably not a _good_ thing.

He noticed that Audrey had, at some point, left with her grandmother, which left Chad standing around with a majority of the tourney team. They were all glaring at him, murmuring to each other in hushed tones as if he wouldn’t notice. One of the guys tapped Chad on the shoulder, gesturing in Jay’s direction, and Chad turned to stare him down. He lifted his nose snootily in the air, and the group stalked off together towards the school, casting hateful looks back at him now and then. 

_Jerks_ , Jay thought. He didn’t have time for them right now; he could talk to his teammates later. Right now, he needed to find Mal and figure out whatever his punishment was going to be. 

He rapt on the door to Mal’s office at Ben’s castle, hearing her call a soft ' _enter_ ’ from inside. He stepped in to find her pacing in front of a large window that overlooked the ocean, purple hair bouncing around her shoulders like springs. She stopped when she saw him, eyes blazing green for a split second before she managed to calm herself down. 

Jay cleared his throat, “You wanted to talk?” 

“Yes, about what happened today,” Mal said, coming to stand in front of her desk, hands clasped behind her back. She looked the very picture of _regal_ and _Queen_. 

“Mal, look, I didn’t—”

“Do you know how many problems you’ve caused?” Mal interrupted.

“Problems?” 

“ _Extra_ problems,” She amended, irritation coloring her tone. “You steal Chad’s stuff, and then you _hit_ him? Seriously, Jay?” Mal pushed off the desk and marched toward him a few paces, arms crossed and angry.

“Okay, first of all, I _didn’t_ steal anything. That’s not me anymore, Mal, you know that.” He was hurt that she would even think that about him after everything they went through together. “Second, yeah, I hit him, and I probably shouldn’t have but—”

“You think? I have Cinderella and Prince Charming’s lawyers calling me off the hook, Jay! They’re furious that you assaulted their son.” Mal screeched. She was pacing again, hands waving wildly around as she ranted. 

“Assaulted him? I barely broke his nose,” Jay rolled his eyes. “Honestly, Chad is just acting like a baby. Coach already benched me for it, anyway.”

“They don’t just want you benched, Jay. They want you _gone_.” Mal stressed.

A block of lead dropped into his stomach like a weight, “What do you mean?”

“The Charmings want you sent back to the Isle,” Mal said. “I’m doing everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“Mal, c’mon—”

“The press is having a field day with this. The people are in a panic over Hades, and with Uma still on the loose, I just—I just _don’t_ need this right now.” Mal walked around her desk and took a seat on a very plush looking, bright purple chair. She folded her hands atop her desk and stared at him, green eyes burning with fire. 

“What do I need to do? Tell me what to do, Mal.” Jay said. 

Mal was silent for a long moment, which only managed to fuel the dread filling his gut. Whatever she said next was _not_ going to be pretty.

“With the Charmings breathing down my neck and press waiting like vultures—I need you to lay low for a while.” She took a deep breath and continued, “By order of the Future Queen of Auradon, I am hereby removing you from the Tourney team for the foreseeable future.” 

Jay’s blood turned to ice in his veins, and he sputtered, trying to form words, but he couldn’t get his voice to work. She had to be kidding; she couldn’t be serious. 

She carried on, “You will be given community service as a compromise to the Charmings, and will be taking Remedial Goodness classes with Fairy Godmother.” Her eyes never left his face, but he imagined that he looked a mess. He could feel the color draining from his face, his fingers going numb and tingly. 

“You can’t be serious! You cant—but—the tourney team is my whole life, Mal!” Jay screamed, finally finding his voice amongst his anger. “This isn’t fair!” 

“Actions have consequences, Jay! Stealing, fighting—these things come with a price. You should’ve thought of that before—” 

“I didn’t _steal_ anything! You’re my best friend, Mal. You have to believe me.” Jay pleaded. 

Mal rolled her eyes, “You were caught red-handed. You’re lucky that your sentence is _this_ light, considering what some others wanted to be done with you.” She twisted her hands together on her desk.

“You don’t believe me,” Jay said in disbelief. 

“Just, lay low, for now, Jay. Attend your community service, go to your Goodness Classes. Then, when everything’s calmed down, maybe we can revisit the idea of—”

“This isn’t _fair_! The only thing I’m guilty of is not hitting Chad _harder_! I did _not_ steal his stuff or anything else!” Jay exploded, rage outweighing the icy feeling spreading through his body. She couldn’t do this, the team meant everything to him, the one place he truly felt that he _belonged_. He couldn’t lose that.

“Jay, calm down—”

“You can’t do this!” Jay yelled, slamming his hands down on the desk. “You were supposed to be my _friend_. To have my _back_.”

“And you were supposed to have mine. To not put me in this position,” Mal said, much softer than before as if she were speaking to an agitated animal. “I am going to be the Queen, Jay. I have to be impartial—I can’t give you a pass to break the rules.” 

“I’ll apologize—or whatever—just please, please don’t do this.” He didn’t feel great about begging, it felt dirty and beneath him, but he was desperate. Desperate not to lose the most significant part of his life. His new life.

“I’m sorry.” 

He wondered if Mal could hear his heart cracking apart inside his chest. It certainly felt that way to him. After a while of standing in deafening silence, Mal finally looked up from the paperwork she’d used as a distraction. Her eyes were full of sympathy, and she tried to smile at him, a quirky sort of thing, but it didn’t make him feel any better. He didn’t want her pity.

“You should go home and get some rest,” Jay glanced up from under his lashes when she spoke; plastic smile once again in place. “Busy day tomorrow, Jane’s birthday—Goodness Class—yadda yadda.” Mal listed.

Jay didn’t deign her with a response, just turned on his heel and stormed out of the office. The pictures on the wall rattled with the force of the door slamming. 

_It wasn’t fair!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole story isn't supposed to taken seriously. Just a fun little something! I hope you enjoy!


	3. The Devil's on My Shoulder

“C’mon, man, cheer up! At least you aren’t being sent back to the Isle,” Carlos said, bringing his huge mug of hot chocolate to his lips and draining it. They’d ran into each other after he’d stormed out of Mal’s office, and of course, he already knew everything. Secrets didn’t tend to stay secret for very long in Auradon, and Jay was aware it was only a matter of time before the whole school was talking about it. Carlos suggested to hang out, get some coffee—to cheer him up—he’d said. 

Jay wasn’t feeling very cheery.

_The Magic Bean_ was usually filled to the brim with people—students and teachers alike—except this evening, when it appeared his very presence was causing a mass exodus of patrons. Even Melody, Ariel’s daughter, who under normal circumstances was sweet and friendly while taking his drink order, shrunk back from him in wariness. As if he’d sprouted horns and was carrying a pitchfork—making plans for world domination, or whatever. Chad had managed to turn most of Auradon against him in a single day. For someone as _stupid_ as Chad Charming, Jay considered this to be quite the feat.

“You believe me, right?” Jay asked. 

Carlos dropped his cup, whipped cream smeared across his top lip, “Of course I do! There’s no way you stole Chad’s stuff. The team means too much to you for you to risk it like that.” 

“The smear campaign the Charmings are running seems to be having the desired effect,” Jay grumbled, swirling the coffee in his cup around a few times. It wasn’t a lie, the customers that remained in the café were doing a pretty poor job of appearing disinterested. They couldn’t stop themselves from sliding sideways glances at him every time they thought he wasn’t looking. Or even if they knew he was. A table of girls a few seats away hadn’t stopped whispering about him since he and Carlos arrived. It was getting annoying. 

“Just do what Mal says and stay low,” Carlos said. “There’s no better time to hide out in your room and binge videogames! Sleep in late, order pizza—sounds great!” His smile split his face as he pictured the scene. 

Jay’s lips quirked a little at the corners. He didn’t want to stay inside all day, every day—he’d be so bored and ready to pull his hair out. He enjoyed the physical activity of the tourney team, running around with the guys, and he was _good_ at it. 

“I guess.”

“I’ll hang out with you too; you know when I’m not with Jane or something…” Carlos’s eyes bugged out of his head, panic breaking across his freckled face like a tidal wave. “ _Jane_! Oh my _gosh_ , I forgot to pick up her birthday cake!” He jumped to his feet in a flash, knocking into the table and sending his empty hot chocolate mug tilting sideways. 

“Better go before they close,” Jay said.

Carlos was already slinging his messenger bag across his body before checking the time on his phone. “Yeah, yeah, I’m already gone. You gonna be okay by yourself?” His concern was touching, but Jay just shrugged him off.

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay, uh, awesome. I’ll see you later, Jay!” And then Carlos was sprinting out of the café at lightspeed. 

Now that he was alone, the atmosphere of the coffee shop changed drastically. Without Carlos, there was nothing to distract him from the vicious whispering taking place all around him. He hunched over his coffee mug and kept his eyes down, trying—and failing—to block out the noise. He didn’t like being treated like some kind of leper. He wished he was the villain that they were making him out to be. 

He nursed his—now cold—coffee for another ten minutes when a figure in bubblegum pink descended gracefully into the chair across from him. He looked up and nearly fell out of his seat in shock at seeing Audrey sitting casually at his table as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Jay blinked a few times to see if he was dreaming, but she was still there, in all of her pink and blonde glory. 

“Can I help you?” Jay said. He really didn’t want to deal with Audrey right now, preferring to wallow in his misery alone, without her kicking him while he was down. Her dislike of the VKs (Mal in _particular_ ) wasn’t lost on him. So why she would lower herself to sitting with _him_ , a known VK and current Auradon Public Enemy Number One, he couldn’t fathom. 

It was just so _weird_.

She smiled, “You’re the talk of the town. I wanted to see how you were doing.” 

“You’re kidding,” Jay deadpanned. Honestly, how stupid did she think he was? 

“I know what it’s like to have Auradon turn it’s back on you—to be isolated from everything familiar. It’s not pretty,” She said with a shrug. 

“Yeah, well, I’m _dealing_ with it.”

Audrey smirked, “Clearly.” She sipped her latte, then pulled a tube of lipstick out of thin air, dabbing the cherry color on her lips. “I didn’t think Mal would actually do something about you. I figured she would’ve looked out for her VK buddy.” She folded her hands under her chin and rested her elbows on the table, her blonde hair fells in curtains around her pretty face. 

“She’s going to be the _Queen_. She has to be _impartial_ ,” Jay sneered.

“What you mean is, she doesn’t believe you.” 

Jay shook his head, hurt clogging up his throat. 

“So much for VK solidarity, I suppose,” Audrey said. It wasn’t mocking, just a statement of fact. 

“She thinks I’m having a relapse or something. I’ve been assigned community service and _Remedial Goodness_ ,” Jay rolled his eyes so hard he felt they might fall out the back of his head. 

Audrey laughed, high and shrill, “But you didn’t steal anything.” 

“I know! What reason would I have to take his stuff? Stealing doesn’t make me happy. The _only_ thing I wish I’d done is hit Chad _harder_ , maybe knock some sense into his stupid head,” Jay groused. Something dawned on him then, and he looked up at Audrey sharply. Her brown eyes were twinkling with mirth. “Wait, wait, wait, you _believe_ me? _You_?”

“Oh, I don’t have to believe you. I know for a _fact_ that you didn’t.”

Jay is floored, “Wait, what? How? _How_ do you know that?”

She narrowed her eyes at him and studied his face, and Jay could practically see the gears working in her head as she pondered. Then, just as he was going to press her for answers—he needed to know what she meant—she burst out into a cackle. Her head tossed back, strands of pink and blue hair falling off the back of her chair. When she composed herself, wiping away an imaginary tear from her immaculate face, Audrey smiled coyly. As if she heald the answers to the universe in the palm of her perfectly manicured hand.

“You haven’t figured it out yet, have you? Oh boy, it’s a good thing you’re pretty because you are _so_ stupid,” She giggled again, obviously amused with herself. 

Jay’s temper was starting to flare, “ _Audrey_.” He warned.

“Fine, fine, jeez, you’re no fun,” She huffed. “Isn’t it obvious? Chad set you up, dummy.” 

“ _What_?” 

“You heard me.”

Silence reigned for a moment while Jay got his bearings. Audrey waited patiently for him to get up to speed. 

“How do you know this?” Jay questioned. 

“Chad isn’t the brightest crayon in the box, so he told me, of course. He’s never been good at keeping secrets, _especially_ from me,” Audrey seemed pleased with this, grinning wickedly to herself. “He was jealous that the coach made you captain again after Lonnie left, so he wanted you,” She searched for the right word, “ _removed_.”

Fury coursed through Jay’s veins hot and fast, his fists were clenched so hard his knuckles were white. He knew he didn’t steal from Chad; it wasn’t his fault. The obnoxious jerk set him up. _He knew it, he knew it, he knew it_! 

He was so angry he could hardly form words, “Why are you telling me this?” 

“Why not? It’s not like anyone’s going to believe you, it’s your word against Chad’s,” Audrey twirled a strand of pink hair around her pointer finger, smirking at him. “And let’s face it, no one is going to buy that _Chad Charming_ would do something so devious.” 

“I’ll tell Mal; she’ll do something about it.”

“Are you so sure about that? She kicked you off the team without a second thought—in favor of Chad. It’s funny; his plan worked out _a lot_ better than he originally thought.” She mused. 

“Mal _will_ believe me. She _has_ to! Chad can’t get away with this!” Jay banged his hands on the table, rattling the cups and earning a few choice glares from other patrons in the café. He shot them the vilest, most spine-chilling looks he could muster, and most went back to pretending not to be talking about him. 

“It’s not fun having your entire life ruined, is it?” Audrey said. “I wouldn’t know _anything_ about that, though.” Her manicure was suddenly very interesting to look at.

Jay’s anger dissipated a little at her words. Audrey was right; his life wasn’t the only one that had been unceremoniously ruined in favor of another. A few years ago, they’d done the same thing, humiliated her in front of the whole school, and left her to just deal with it. Jay didn’t think any of them had ever apologized for the entire Ben-love-spell-debacle. He knows he never did. 

He took a deep breath, “I’m sorry about that, Audrey.” 

“You’re not the one I want an apology from, but thank you nonetheless,” She accepted, and the guilty feeling in his stomach lessened a bit. 

Jay stood, grabbing his and Audrey’s empty coffee mugs and bringing them to the front counter. The baristas looked at him skeptically for a moment, then went back to cleaning—or whatever it was—they were doing. He made his way out of the café, Audrey strutting behind him like a model, pausing once they were outside. It was getting late, and he needed to catch Mal before she went to bed for the night, to explain everything and hopefully get Chad what he _deserved_ for screwing his life up so bad. 

Audrey flipped her perfect blonde hair over her shoulder and breathed heavily, “Well, I have to go and find Jane a birthday present. I was surprised to get an invite at all, to be honest.” She heaved a sigh again as if shopping was going to be such a burden on her. 

“I think I’m probably disinvited,” Jay said, mostly in jest. 

“Consider yourself lucky; her parties tend to be dull affairs.”

His lips quirked up in an amused smile; he figured she was probably kidding. Before he could take a step to leave, Audrey grabbed ahold of his wrist and pulled him back. Her chocolate eyes swimming with something that Jay thought might’ve been _sympathy_. Or maybe _pity_. It made his insides squirm.

“Jay, just—good luck, okay? With Mal, I mean,” She wrung her hands awkwardly in front of her pink dress. “I don’t want her to get away with ruining another life. So, _make_ her believe you.” 

“I will. Thanks, Audrey.”

“Whatever.”

Jay banged on Mal’s bedroom door repeatedly, hoping, _praying_ that she wasn’t asleep and wasn’t going to burn him to a crisp for waking her. She yanked the door open, her purple hair wild and disheveled, annoyance etched into every plane of her face. Jay took notice of her little purple pajamas, adorned with tiny green, fire-breathing dragons. It would’ve been an adorable ensemble had she not looked ready to murder him. 

“ _What_?” She hissed.

“I need to talk to you. It’s really, really important,” Jay stressed. He saw movement over her head and noticed Ben peeking around the door frame, sporting a pair of blue PJs with dorky gold crowns on them. “Uh, you busy or something?” He asked, glancing pointedly in Ben’s direction.

“Or something. We’re having a movie night,” Mal opened the door wide enough for him to enter, then shut it with a ‘click.’ There was indeed a movie playing on the TV—some sort of chick-flick by the look of it. Various candies and chocolate-covered strawberries littered the coffee table, along with two stemmed glasses of amber liquid. A bowl of popcorn sat half-eaten on the velvet couch. 

Mal hoisted herself up on the back of the sofa, crossing her legs at the ankles, “So, what’s up?”

“It’s about Chad.”

She groaned and threw her head back. 

“Uhh, I’m gonna go make some more popcorn—okay, babe?” Ben grabbed the half-filled bowl and pecked Mal affectionately on the forehead. “Take your time.” He whispered into her hair before disappearing out the bedroom door. 

“I thought the Chad issue had been resolved,” Mal said, very clearly not pleased to be having this conversation again. 

Jay didn’t care, “He set me up, Mal! He planted his stuff in my bag to get me in trouble!” 

“And you know this: how?” 

“Audrey found me at _The Magic Bean_ and—” She held up her hand to stop him, unable to comprehend what she was hearing.

“Audrey told you? _Audrey_? The same Audrey who hates VKs and wouldn’t help us if her life depended on it?” Mal accused hotly. “Why would you listen to anything that comes out of her mouth?” 

“What reason would she have to lie about this?” Jay insisted. Mal wasn’t listening to him though, her posture was rigid, and she pinched the bridge of her nose in aggravation. 

“To stir up trouble, maybe? It seems like an Audrey thing to do.” 

“You can’t be serious,” Jay shook his head in disbelief. “I tell you that Chad set me up, purposefully got me _kicked off the team_ , dragged my name through the _dirt_ , turned most of Auradon _against_ me, and you think _Audrey_ is the one trying to cause unnecessary trouble?” He was stunned that she was going out of her way to not believe a word he said. After everything they’d been through, she couldn’t just trust him on this one thing.

“Do you have proof that he did this?” Mal asked, curious. 

“Well, no, not yet, but—”

She interjected, purple hair bobbing as she jumped off the couch, “Because he has a lot of proof that you did.” 

“Mal, I’m not lying—”

“Not to mention you punched him!” Mal chided, shaking her head. “I want to believe you, Jay, I do, I really, _really_ do. But, realistically, it’s his word against yours, and unless he says explicitly ‘I did it,’ I have to go by the evidence presented.” She turned her solemn gaze to the floor, kicking at a dust bunny with her socked foot. 

Jay’s heart thundered painfully in his chest; his anger was searing his skin like a third-degree burn. Mal was his only hope in this fight, and she didn’t believe him. This young woman, this _girl_ , whom he’d known his entire life, stood up for, _fought_ to protect. His perfect life spiraled through the cracks of a lie built by one of the supposed _heroes_ — a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Chad ruined everything, took _everything_ , he was going to get away with this, and she was just going to _let_ him. Unimpeded. 

His blood boiled hotter than a fiery sea. 

Jay took a step back from her, fingernails digging into the fleshy palms of his hands, his eyes narrowed in cold fury. He’d never been this angry in his entire life—and he’d been plenty mad. 

“You’re supposed to be my _friend_. After _everything_ we’ve been through together, everything I’ve done for you…the one time I need you to have my back, and you _don’t_ ,” Jay simmered, voice thick with malice.

“I am your friend, Jay, but I’m also the Queen, and that—”

“Not _yet_ ,” Jay challenged threateningly. 

“Excuse me?”

“You’re not the Queen _yet_ ,” He clarified with a sneer. “He’s not getting away with this; I won’t let him.” 

“Jay, don’t do something that you’ll regret. Go home, get some sleep, hang out with Carlos, whatever—things’ll be better in the morning.” She made to rub his shoulder and he recoiled away from her touch like it burned. She pressed her lips together and wrung her hands. “I promise, once things have settled down with Hades, and Uma is no longer a threat, we’ll see about this Chad issue. I _promise_.”

He just shook his head slowly and backed away, analyzing her as if he’d never even seen her before. His best friend, the girl he considered his _sister_ was standing right there, and he’d never felt more alone. He felt abandoned, _discarded_. 

Ben chose that moment to come stumbling through the door, a bowl of popcorn balanced on his right arm, and two bottles of soda tucked under his left. He took in the sight of the two VKs, Mal standing arms crossed and pensive, and Jay tense with rage. 

“Everything good here?” He passed the bowl off to Mal, who turned and sat it down amongst the other goodies on the coffee table. 

Mal took one of the sodas from him with a beam, “Yeah, we’re okay. Jay was just leaving. He’s gonna have some ‘guy time’ with Carlos to unwind, right?” She looked at him with raised eyebrows, expectant. 

Jay just stared.

Ben was oblivious, “That sounds nice, you guys have fun.” He flashed Jay his million-watt smile, genuinely happy. He was like an overgrown Care Bear—which Jay usually didn’t mind—but now it only served to irritate him further. 

Jay took it as his cue to leave when they started making goo-goo eyes at each other.

Jay didn’t go home for his planned ‘play-date’ with Carlos, still too angry and hurt; he didn’t want Carlos to bear the brunt of it. It wouldn’t be fair to take out his foul mood on his sweet, well-meaning friend. So he walked. He didn’t have a destination in mind, just so long as it was away from _Mal_ and _Chad_ and _Auradon_ in general. His feet carried him in circles for hours until finally, at the stroke of midnight, he found himself outside of the Museum of Cultural History. There was a tugging in his gut telling him to go inside, some invisible force pulling him like a string. 

To his surprise, the main entrance unlocked, the security guard fast asleep in front of his array of cameras. Jay didn’t know why he shut off the security feed, but the feeling was there again, _urging_ him, _encouraging_ him that what he was doing was right. He wound his way through the marble halls, climbing a flight of stairs towards the wing of the museum that housed the _Hall of Villains_. He stood pensive in front of the display that showcased the ‘worst’ villains in the land; Maleficent, Cruella, The Evil Queen, his father, Jafar. His father looked the very definition of mean, the Golden Cobra gleaming viciously in the dim light of the exhibit. This is what the people of Auradon saw him as nothing but a spitting image of his father, a _villain_. They didn’t care that he’d chosen _good_ , that he’d risked his life against Uma and her pirates to rescue their _king_ , to save Auradon. 

No, they only saw a villain, someone born of evil who was bound to fall eventually, and it was all Chad’s _fault_. The thought of the blond idiot sent a new wave of hate scorching through his blood, his anger as potent and sharp as a lightning bolt. Chad was getting away with ruining his life. _He was going to get away with it_. He screamed out in anger, kicking a nearby column with his boot. It wasn’t _fair_! Jay had never hated anyone more than he despised _Chad Charming_. He looked upon the mannequin of his father again, angry tears pricking the corners of his eyes. What would his father do? What would _Jafar_ do? 

_Jay…_

A velvet voice glided through his mind like silk, coaxing him along with the promise of sinister delights. He found himself moving again, away from the Hall of Villains, towards the exhibit housing the _Crown of the Queen of Auradon_. The _Queen of Auradon_ , he jeered, throwing open the billowing blue curtains. The crown sat under a glass container on the raised dais, sparkling beautifully under the artificial lights. He thought of Mal wearing that monstrosity, being the _Queen_ , being _happy_. The pain of her rejection spiked in his chest, bringing with it disgust and violence. She didn’t care that his life was tarnished, over, thrown under a bus, and off a cliff. _Chad_ had _proof_. _Chad_ was going to _get away with it_. 

_Jay…_

He _couldn’t_ let that happen.

_Jay…_

He _wouldn’t_ let it happen. 

To his right, a red curtain pulled apart to another section of the exhibit, revealing a shimmering green light. Jay turned to look at the source, the voice—that sounded a lot like _Audrey_ , he realized—hypnotizing him with its seductive suggestions. He stumbled a few steps forward, feeling like a puppet on strings, unable to look away from the object of his obsession. It was Maleficent’s scepter, set upon a pedestal, green jewel glowing wickedly. A few steps more, it was so _magnetic_ …

_Evil is the only real way to win…_

The darkness around him was promising _vengeance_ , showing all the ways he could make Chad _suffer_. Make them all rue the day they turned on him. Another step closer, the evil magic clashing against the brown of his skin. Jay couldn’t take his eyes off the scepter; it was so _tempting_ …

_There’s no team in “I”…_

He didn’t have a team anymore, didn’t have _anyone_. Mal didn’t care; she had Ben, Evie had Doug, and Carlos was wrapped up in Jane. Jay was alone, without a team, his friends too busy to care about his problems. He swirled his hands above the scepter, misty green magic following his fingers in patterns. All he had to do was _grab_ it, _take it_ …

_There’s nothing to lose when you’re lonely and friendless…_

The price of the scepter seemed little to pay for retribution, _revenge_. His decision made, Jay brought his hand up and firmly grasped the scepter around the middle of the knotted wood. A billowing cloud of red smoke engulfed him; power flooded his veins, making him dizzy from the sudden rush of magic. He felt strong. Powerful. _Dangerous_. The magic dispersed around him, the once green crystal at the tip now a blood-red, evil gem. He grinned, cackling maniacally. It was _delicious_. He brought the staff down with a ‘ _bang!_ ’ and the chandelier exploded in a shower of red sparks.

_I want what I deserve!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this one! Jay is so dramatic and it's silly! Enjoy. :)


	4. Payback

Mal’s morning was not going well. Beast called an emergency meeting to discuss the potential threat of Hades on the people of Auradon. His near escape had ensued mass panic amongst the kingdom—coupled with Uma still on the loose, and Jay’s assault of Chad—Auradon was in hysterics. During the meeting, Ben received a world-shattering phone call, explaining that Maleficent’s scepter had was stolen from the museum during the night. The obvious conclusion, at least to Mal, was that Uma was finally gearing up for an attack on Auradon. After more deliberation, it was decided that to keep evil out of Auradon, they couldn’t keep opening the barrier. Going in and out was exposing them to danger, and it was only a matter of time before another villain tried—and succeeded—in escaping. Ben was devastated, his dream of bettering the lives of the VKs thoroughly shattered. Mal’s heart broke for him, broke for the children that were trapped on that island, but she knew, deep down, they were making the right choice. 

Now, she sat in Evie’s castle, explaining to her blue-haired friend all that transpired during the meeting. 

“Who else knows about the scepter?” Evie asked, an underlying note of concern lacing her voice. 

Mal shook her head, “No one, yet. Think about it, the people are scared enough as it is. We have to employ these entirely new security measures.” Mal explained, pacing around Evie’s studio. 

“Will this delay our bringing over new VKs?” Evie questioned.

“There’s talk about closing the barrier for good.” 

Evie scoffed. “But you said no,” It wasn’t posed as a question, but rather as a statement of fact. Mal didn’t have it in her heart to tell her the truth, to say to her best friend that closing the barrier had been _her_ idea. In order to protect them and their new lives here in Auradon. 

So she kept her mouth closed.

“I mean, the four of us are living the dream here, and we finally get to share that,” Evie explained, blue hair falling in waves over her shoulders as she gesticulated. “What could be more important than that?” 

Mal lifted her shoulders in a shrug, “Maybe security, or peace of mind for everyone in Auradon?” 

“Is that what their thinking?” Evie seemed confused as if she couldn’t comprehend that line of thinking. “Do they think no one will ever try to go in or out of the Isle ever again? And what about these kids?” She got up and moved around the room, wringing her hands together as she fretted. “We promised them they could back and visit whenever they wanted.” 

“Yeah, I know,” Mal agreed, guilt coiling in the pit of her stomach. 

Evie took her hands and held them in her own, “Mal, I am so glad you’re going to be Queen. You will part of these conversations; you’ll stand up for the VKs.” Her smile was sweet and affectionate, full of love and pride. “Thank you for telling me.”

She pulled Mal into a crushing embrace, and the guilt intensified tenfold.

Jane’s birthday party was fast approaching, and after her conversation with Evie, Mal was ready to unwind and spend some time with her friends for a while. She desperately needed a break, so many things had happened in such a short amount of time, it was overwhelming. Ben’s proposal, Hades’ escape attempt, the whole debacle with Jay. _Jay_. She felt terrible about the way she handled that situation; it wasn’t her finest moment. She and Ben had spent time discussing Jay at length, and he’d mentioned that perhaps, just possibly, she’d been a little harsh on him. That didn’t make her feel any better.

She descended the staircase at Evie’s 4Hearts, finding Carlos and Evie preparing picnic baskets full of beach towels, apples, and other various goodies. Jane’s birthday cake sat opened at the end of the counter, a chunk missing out of one of the corners. Carlos was freaking out over it, reprimanding whoever the thief was, while Evie looked on, trying—and failing—to hide her smile. 

Carlos gave up in a frustrated huff, tossing his hands in the air, “The nerve of some people, you know what I mean?” He finally took notice of Mal as she entered the kitchen, smirking at him.

“Cut them some slack, they’ve never had cake before,” Evie teased.

Carlos grumbled under his breath something unintelligible before sliding his eyes over to Mal. “Hey, have you seen Jay?” He said quickly changing the subject. 

“Not since yesterday.”

“He never came back last night,” Carlos said, repackaging Jane’s birthday cake before more wandering hands could get ahold of it. 

Mal rolled her eyes. “You know how he is; he’s probably off sulking somewhere.” Carlos didn’t look convinced, however, running an anxious hand through his white curls. “What I mean is, he’s done this before. He always comes back.” She amended with a smile.

“He probably just needs some space after… _everything_ ,” Evie mentioned.

Carlos hummed in acknowledgment, the atmosphere of the kitchen turning awkward and uncomfortable. They’d all seen Jay had been upset, seen him rant and rage around the Isle before disappearing for hours on end. Mal was a bit concerned that something might’ve happened to him, perhaps Uma took him prisoner, or he’d fled back to the Isle, or fallen down a well, or—okay, now she was being silly. She shook her head to clear it, her purple curls waving like a waterfall over her shoulders, and grabbed the present she picked out for Jane. 

“I’ll see you guys over there, ‘kay?” Mal called from the front door, a chorus of ‘yeahs’ trailing after her. 

She stepped outside, the warm summer air caressing her skin, and she breathed deep. It was a beautiful day for a birthday party. She needed this, oh gosh did she _need_ this. She started down the cobblestone path toward the forest when a bolt of red lightning crashed from the sky. A figure emerged from a swirling cloud of red smoke, strutting down the footpath like it was a runway.

It was _Jay_. Only it _wasn’t_. Her first reaction was that this person in front of her couldn’t be Jay, but rather Jafar, in all of his evil glory. Clad in head-to-toe black, accented with splashes of red, streaks of crimson winding through his long hair. A luscious cape billowed gently in the breeze. Gripped in his right hand was a staff made of knotted wood, a ruby-red gem gleaming sinisterly at the tip, the red casting shadows over his defined face. Mal was so shocked by the whole scene she had to blink a few times even to process what the heck she was seeing.

“I was hoping you were home,” Jay remarked with a devilish grin.

Mal breathed a laugh, stunned. “Is this a joke? What are you doing with my mother’s scepter?” If this was his idea of funny, it really, _really_ wasn’t. 

Jay looked down at the object in question, eyes glazing over as he took in the sight of the red crystal. He snapped out of it after a moment, raising his gaze back to Mal’s face with a smirk. “Well, I wanted it, so I took it. After all, that’s all I’m good at, right? _Stealing_?” Jay stated as if it was apparent. 

He bent over the scepter, preparing a spell or some other horrible thing, and Mal dropped Jane’s present in a panic. She lunged for the staff, but Jay was faster, backing away with a devious chuckle.

“Wait, Jay, stop! Don’t use that!” Mal screamed.

Jay tossed the scepter between his hands idly, eyebrow raised. “I thought you liked spells.” 

“Okay, Jay, you’re better—”

“Quiet!” Jay bellowed as he began pacing agitatedly around, his grip on the scepter tightening.

“It’s not a toy! It’s dangerous!” 

“I want to be dangerous!” Jay rounded on her with a sneer, brown eyes blazing with fury. “My life was perfect until Chad stole it,…and _you_ were just going to _let_ him.” His hands were shaking with rage, the ruby gem pulsating with energy. “He turned Auradon against me…” 

He straightened up to his full height, tall and imposing, twirled the scepter in his grip before a positively wicked smile broke across his face. “Well, it’s time for a little payback.” He turned, cape fanning out behind him as he swaggered back down the cobblestone path from whence he came. Mal took a few steps after him; she couldn’t let him leave; she had to stop him!

“Jay, wait—”

Quick as a viper, Jay turned and blasted a bolt of red magic directly at Mal, hitting her square in the chest. She felt the magic take hold, shifting and morphing her body into an unrecognizable shape. When the world stopped spinning, and she regained her bearings, she brought her fingers up to her face, dismayed at what she encountered. Craggy skin, a hunched back, and wrinkled, withered hands. Her once vibrant and beautiful hair now the color of snow, thinned, and waning. 

Oh, this was _terrible_.

Jay was crowing in delight of his handiwork. “You think Ben will make you a Queen now, you old hag?” He taunted.

The front doors burst open as Evie, Carlos, and Celia rushed outside at the commotion, calling for Mal. Jay spun around in wicked glee, twirling the scepter around like a baton before pointing directly at Mal. 

“Chad’ll pay the price for what he did, and so will all of Auradon! Starting with _you_.” Jay hissed. 

“ _Jay_!” Carlos pleaded.

“So long, suckers!” Jay howled before vanishing in a ‘poof!’ of red smoke. 

Once Jay was gone, and Evie and Carlos got over their shock at what they’d just witnessed concerning their best friend, they turned to aide Mal. Celia hovered nearby anxiously, running her hands through the poof on her head. Carlos took one look at Mal and squealed, recoiling in horror at the sight of her haggard, aged appearance. Evie reached a comforting hand out to her friend. 

“Uh, you might want to think of spell for that,” Carlos stalled awkwardly, gesturing at Mal vaguely. 

Mal’s voice croaked. “There’s no spell that can reverse the curse of the scepter.” 

“Well, that’s a shame.”

“Forget about me, Jay’s out for revenge, and all of Auradon is in danger,” Mal explained, pointing to where Jay had previously been. 

“ _Jay_ is?” 

Mal explained the situation to her friends that the only thing stronger than Maleficent’s scepter was Hades’ ember, which he currently still had, locked away on the Isle. They made a plan to sneak into his lair—which only Celia knew the whereabouts of—and steal the ember out from under him. They needed to put a stop to Jay’s reign of terror on Auradon. Celia wasn’t happy, whining that she ‘ _just got here_ ’ and it wasn’t fair. The group split up to prepare—Evie having to escort Mal back inside, at the pace of a snail—the birthday party a distant memory. 

They had to protect Auradon.

Audrey was happy she chose to wear her pink high-tops because trekking down the hiking trail to Enchanted Lake would’ve killed in a pair of heels. She was surprised when Jane extended her an invitation to the party, having thought that she’d been forgotten about in the wake of the ‘Ben Disaster,’ as she called it. Pop-up tables littered with cupcakes and treats came into view, blue balloons floating above each one. A giant banner that read ‘ _Happy Birthday Jane_!’ hung in an arch. She found the table housing Jane’s various presents and deposited her own brightly colored package. Pink wrapping with adorable little bluebirds tied perfectly with a sparkly periwinkle ribbon. Audrey hoped that Jane would love the pair of flats she’d picked especially for her.

After grabbing herself a cupcake—strawberry, her _favorite_ —Audrey made her way down to the water, where Jane and Chad were talking amongst themselves. Chad poking fun at the fact that Carlos, seemingly, had forgotten about Jane’s birthday, seeing as he was running late.

“Or you know what? They probably don’t celebrate birthdays on the Isle, maybe it’s like a cultural thing,” Jane reasoned. 

Chad shrugged his shoulders up to his ears, blond curls falling over his bruised eyes, “Oh, yeah. Or maybe he just forgot. You never know.” He scrunched his nose up and winced the white bandage pinching together on his skin. 

“Hey, Chad, look! There’s people taking selfies,” Audrey exclaimed, pointing up the hill where a group of boys from the tourney team had gathered, posing on some rocks. 

“Guys, wait, wait, wait for me!” And Chad was bounding up the rocky hillside. 

Jane giggled at his antics. “Thanks for that.” 

Audrey waved her hand dismissively. “Chad doesn’t know when to quit. It’s going to get him in trouble one of these days.” She took a bite of her cupcake, the sweet flavor was delicious. “I should be thanking you. You know, for inviting me.” Audrey blushed.

“Of course.” 

_What’s he doing here?_

The girls turned to see what everyone was whispering about so fervently. Audrey’s mouth dropped open when she caught sight of Jay peacocking around, weaving between the dessert table and a few onlookers. 

He plucked a cupcake out of one boy’s hand. “I wouldn’t be expecting Mal, she’s…not feeling herself,” Jay said, tossing the sugary confection to the dirt with a sly smile. 

“You have some _nerve_ showing up here,” It was Chad, flanked by his teammates. Jay whipped around at the sound of his voice, the creepiest grin she’d ever seen splitting his face apart. 

He looked positively _evil_.

“Chad, Chad, Chad, _Chad_ , just the guy I wanted to see,” Jay cooed, slinking forward with catlike grace, winding around Chad and tourney team like a predator circling a wounded animal. “A little birdie told me that it was _you_ who set me up. That you ruined my life because you were _jealous_ .” He came to rest in front of a quivering Chad, who’d lost all semblance of color in his cheeks, making the dark purple bruises even more garish. The team murmured to each other, unsure what the heck Jay was talking about. Chad wouldn’t do something like that; he was one of the _good ones_.

Chad swallowed audibly. “I don’t—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” He stammered. 

“And _you_ !” Jay rounded on the team next, his anger rolling off him like an avalanche. “He spun his little web of lies, and you _nitwits_ swallowed each one. _You mindless little drones_!” Jay roared.

Chad and the team stumbled backward, landing in a pile as Jay advanced on them, the scepter in his hands glowing a vile red in his fury. Chad went crosseyed as the staff pointed directly at his face. 

“What’re you doing? What-what’re you going to do to _me_?” He whimpered.

Jay bowed with an exaggerated flourish. “Why, Chad, I’m giving you what you _wanted_. As you said, ‘once a villain, always a villain,’ _right_?” Jay sneered, voice dripping in sarcasm. “I’m just living down to all of your incredibly _low expectations_.” He addressed the birthday party then, offering the same sweeping bow to the crowd of frightened party guests. 

“Jay, man, I’m _sorry_ —I didn’t mean—” Chad began.

“ _Enough of your lies_! You _knew_ what you were doing! You wanted me _gone_!” Jay exploded, shoving the scepter even further into Chad’s face, the tourney team shrieking in fear as the tip glittered ominously. A few of them grabbed ahold of Chad’s shirt and tried to wrench him away from the business end of the staff, and Jay cackled like a witch at them. “Where was this loyalty when _I_ was your captain, eh?”

“Please, Jay, _please_ —”

“I was your captain, and you acted like a bunch of _snakes_!” Jay hissed, then paused as he thought about what he said. The creepy smile was back, all white teeth and cruel intentions. “You want to act like snakes in the grass? Then let’s see how truly _snake-like you can be_!” 

The party turned into chaos, people screaming and running, tripping over each other to get away from whatever mischief Jay was brewing. He spun the scepter above his head a few times, his head thrown back in maniacal laughter. Chad and the tourney team were still cowering on the ground, crawling on hands and knees in frenzied effort to escape. Jane grasped Audrey’s arm and tugged her behind a nearby stone pillar, out of Jay’s line of sight, and—hopefully—away from the blast radius. Jay crashed the hilt of the scepter to the ground, clouds of red magic cascading in ripples around his boots. The evil magic swirled, engulfing around the group of terrified boys, twisting their bones and changing skin. The red smoke continued outwards, wisping through the trees, making its way toward Auradon proper. 

Audrey and Jane peeked out from behind the column as Chad _screamed_ , high pitched and _petrified_. He was sitting in the middle of a group of dog-sized, red, and black cobras that were all hissing and spitting in his direction. The magic wafted over the rocky cliff face, descending toward the Enchanted Lake. 

Jay bopped one of the snakes with the tip of the scepter, “Happy _slithering_.” 

“Oh gosh, oh _gosh_ , please, please, _please_ ,” Chad pleaded miserably, throwing himself at Jay’s feet. 

Jay kicked him off. “As for you, _Chad_ , I think it’s time for a little _abject humiliation_!” He loudly proclaimed, grabbing Chad by the collar of his shirt. He banged the scepter on the ground once more, Chad managing to belt out a wailing ‘ _no_!’ before the two disappeared in a puff of red.

Jay’s spell was still on the move, now covering most of the forest and heading right for Audrey and Jane. They were dangerously close to falling the lake, the magic coming in hot, a wave of red, evil, and malice. Jane tugged on Audrey’s arm, who was frozen in shock at what she’d just witnessed. She told Jay about Chad’s diabolical scheme, mostly out of spite. Still, Audrey had an underlying feeling that Mal would, at the very least, looking into the allegations against Chad if Jay presented them to her. If Jay’s sudden and _radical_ mood shift was anything to go by, Mal did _not_. She wasn’t surprised Jay lost it, honestly. 

Jane tugged her arm again, harder. “ _Audrey_! C’mon, the Enchanted Lake is our only chance.” 

“But—but I’ll get _wet_!” Audrey cringed, not wanting her cute little pink romper to get soaked. 

“Do you want to get _cursed_ instead?” 

Audrey looked between the lake water and the wall of red mist heading their way, and quickly shook her head, her blonde ponytail bobbing about wildly. Jane nodded, and hands still clutched together, the two plunged into the cool water. They stayed under for as long as feasibly could, giving the spell enough time to pass above the surface. Audrey’s lungs were burning when she burst out of the water, inhaling vast lungfuls of air, the magic all but dispersed. 

Well, she couldn’t say Jane’s parties were _dull_ anymore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the best, but I wanted to get something out. Enjoy!


	5. To Hades House, We Go

Ben was running late. He was supposed to be at Jane’s birthday party almost thirty minutes ago, but alas, meetings ran long, and before he knew it, he’d lost track of time. Ben snatched up Jane’s gift and was heading out the door when his phone trilled loudly in his pocket. He almost dropped it when he saw the caller ID. _Audrey_. Audrey hadn’t so much as said ‘hi’ to him since she’d returned from her spa vacation, though he couldn’t blame her. Their last encounter had been less than pleasant—what with him unceremoniously dumping her at the tourney match. He probably should apologize for that, he thought.

He answered. “Hey, Audrey, long time no talk,” Man, that sounded lame even to him, he mentally smacked himself.

 _Stupid_.

“Ben, shut up. Where are you?” She sounded out of breath.

“Uh, my castle? I’m on my way to Jane’s party, my meetings ran late and—”

“No! Stay where you are. Jay’s got the scepter, and he’s turned everyone into snakes,” Audrey said. A sound like a branch snapping echoed through the receiver, followed by a string of very _un-ladylike_ words falling from her lips. “Jane’s calling her mom and telling her to get her wand.”

Ben was confused. “Wait, _what_?” He knew Jay was having a hard time recently—he’d spent quite a lot of time discussing it with Mal, but he never would’ve considered Jay capable of doing something so drastic. It occurred to him that he hadn’t heard from Mal all day, ratcheting his concern up to eleven. He had no _idea_ where she was. “Is Mal with you guys?”

“No. Jane and I split up a few minutes ago, she’s heading to the school,” Audrey heaved a sigh. “I’m going over to the VKs place. Though I _loathe_ to admit it, Mal is probably the best equipped to handle evil magic.” She choked on the words as if they caused her physical pain.

“Yeah, yeah—okay.”

“Just stay there, I’ll call if anything changes,” Audrey said.

Ben breathed. “Thank you, Audrey.”

“Whatever. I’m not doing it for _you_ , I’m doing it for _Auradon_ ,” She said, then hung up the call, a dial tone sounding in his ear.

Ben immediately started making plans. He needed to contact the Royal Guards, assess the damage Jay had caused, make sure his people were _safe_. Auradon needed its king.

The VKs made it to the Isle in record time, Mal having spelled their motorbikes to cross the open water, no magic bridge needed. The plan was simple—get in, get the ember, get out before their parents—or _anyone else_ —noticed them. The group parked as inconspicuously as possible, and Carlos felt a sense of dread sink into his stomach. He didn’t like being on the Isle more than necessary, and he was even less comfortable about tangling with Hades. His temper was _legendary_.

Carlos jolted from his reverie at the sound of Mal’s voice.

“Hey, I’m ‘ _me_ ’ again.” She exclaimed, examining her hands, now free of wrinkles and warts. Her hair once again taking on its natural, vibrant purple hue. Jay’s evil spell, it seemed, had washed away once they crossed the border onto the Isle.

Relief flooded his veins. That was _one_ problem solved, at least.

Celia rolled her brown eyes. “Duh, evil magic doesn’t work here. That’s kinda the point.” She motioned for the group to follow as she led them down a back alley. They came to rest in front of a metal door. Carlos watched with amusement as Celia tapped a series of notes on the door—like a _secret code_ , looking proud of herself when it swung open.

He hadn’t been inside _Dr. Facilier’s Voodoo Arcade_ in ages, though nothing about the place had changed. The warehouse was still dimly lit, with bright flashing neon signs, and broken down game machines littered about. The same pungent stink that permeated the entire Isle lingered, though now the scent of unwashed masses and stale candy masked it. A sense of familiarity draped over Carlos like a veil, and nostalgia slammed into his gut as he took in the sight of the old, worn-out pool table in the corner. He and Jay used to play against each other all the time…but that was _before_.

Celia squealed a call of ‘ _daddy!_ ’ and rushed down the rickety stairs into the arcade, bounding over to her father with a wide, toothy grin. Carlos smiled as Dr. Facilier grabbed the young girl and spun her around before the two made playful jabs at one another. He peeked out of the corner of his eye, finding both Mal and Evie watching the duo with the same happiness, if not a little sad.

At least _one_ villain cared about their offspring, he thought.

Facilier led Celia away, his arm wrapped around her tiny shoulders, but not before Carlos caught a snippet of their hushed conversation.

“What sort of hustle you got going on with them ‘ _shiny people_?’” Dr. Facilier asked, walking them over to a small nook with a table and chairs.

“No, ‘hustle,’” Celia said, “I got friends on the _other side_.” She beamed at her dad rather smugly, and Carlos snorted a little.

Facilier puffed up proudly. “Ah! I hear you, I hear you.”

Carlos left the two to their own devices and milled about the arcade, finding Mal and Evie perched in front of an old TV. It took coins to operate, there was always a catch at the _Voodoo Arcade_ , Facilier gave no commodity away for _free_. The three VKs waited for Celia to finish catching up with her dad and grab the key to Hades’ lair, sprawled out on the most disgusting sofa Carlos had ever seen. It probably hadn’t been cleaned in the Isle’s twenty-year existence, and Carlos _shuddered_ at what was perhaps living on it. Mal and Evie didn’t appear to share his concerns.

The doors to the arcade burst open in a ‘ _bang_!’ and Carlos turned to see what the commotion was about. His heart lept into his throat, and he frantically smacked Mal and Evie on the arms, pointing. Standing at the top of the stairs, clad in the same raggedy street clothes they’d last seen him in, was _Jafar_. Oh, this was _bad_ , this was so very, _terrible_.

They needed to leave _immediately_.

Jafar sauntered down the stairs into the main area, looking lax, like he hadn’t a care in the world, and Carlos wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. He, Mal, and Evie kept their heads down, only casting cautious glances the sorcerer's way when they were sure his back was turned. They didn’t need Jafar to recognize them, or _worse_ , hear about Jay, and run off to their _parents_. Facilier’s face hardened at the sight of Jafar, and he rose to his feet, magic cane gripped tight in his hand. Celia hovered behind her father warily as the two villains faced off.

“Facilier, my good friend, how have you been?” Jafar started, a twinkle in his hateful eyes.

Facilier didn’t take the bait. “What do you want, Jafar?”

“So unfriendly! I merely came by to inform you of a _sale_ I’m having,” Jafar smirked, adjusting the turban on his head. “I believe there are some items you would find _most intriguing_.”

“I’m not buying back _my own things_ , you washed-up salesman,” Facilier growled.

“You _wound_ me.”

“Your stock hasn’t been what it was since your lootin’ son ran off,” Facilier jabbed, smiling wide when Jafar’s face turned a funny shade of purple. “What’s the matter? Hit a nerve? The boy is better off without _you_ , bet you don’t even cross his mind.” The witch doctor continued nastily.

Jafar was _not pleased_ , eyes growing sinister. Carlos could tell, and out of his peripheral vision, he saw Mal motioning to Celia, beckoning her along. Jafar wasn’t a barrel of laughs when he was in a _foul mood_. Carlos had seen Jay on the receiving end of plenty of those fights, and none of them were pretty.

“Just you wait, soon, your little _brat_ ,” Jafar extended his pointer finger directly at Celia. Who was trying to slink her way to Mal, stopping her dead in her tracks. “will be kissing up to those _heroes_ and you’ll fade into obscurity. She’ll be just another _disappointment_ to villains everywhere.” Jafar scoffed, crossing his arms.

Facilier got right up in Jafar’s personal space, tugging Celia behind him and holding her there with his hand. As if just this small act was all that was keeping the witch doctor from smacking Jafar silly.

“You leave her _out of this_ ,” He hissed menacingly.

Jafar stared him down, smirking.

The arcades tension was unceremoniously broken when the old, busted coin-TV blared a loud news bulletin over the subtle gaming noise. Carlos whipped around at the sound, _horrified_ at what he heard.

‘ _Alerts of the snake spell keep coming in as it spreads throughout Auradon_ …’

Oh no, _oh no_ , Carlos panicked, but it was too late. Jafar’s attention was suddenly diverted towards the television as he ambled closer to get a better look at the screen. Jafar leaned over the back of the worn-out couch, dangerously close to Evie’s face, and she held her breath. All he had to do was turn his head slightly left, and he’d get an eyeful of Evie’s pretty face and unmistakable _blue hair_. Carlos wanted to die, and the news report continued.

‘ _There are rumors that Jafar’s son, Jay, is behind the spell. We're trying to discover whether the young villain is in cahoots with Hades to perpetrate this evil. We have an update. It's what? It's moving this way? It is moving this way…!_ ’

The broadcast went dead, and Carlos’s heart thundered painfully in his chest. Mal and Evie sat stone still next to him, sporting variants of shock on their faces. He risked glancing up at Jafar, who seemed to have planted roots behind the couch. The sorcerer had a bizarre sort of look on his face—Carlos thought—a mix between utter _disbelief_ and _pride_.

“That’s my boy!” Jafar finally crowed, pumping his fist in the air in triumph. Carlos’s mouth hung open, though he wasn’t sure why he was surprised at Jafar’s reaction. _Of course_ , the only way Jay would please his father would be to _curse_ all of Auradon. Jay had _never_ been good enough for Jafar, and Carlos was suddenly furious on Jay’s behalf.

He should’ve kept his mouth shut, but the words burst free before he could stop them.

“No, he’s _not_.” Carlos reprimanded.

Evie's brown eyes went wide, while Mal dropped her head into her hands with a disgruntled huff. He heard Celia gasp from somewhere beyond her father. Jafar’s gaze found Carlos’s defiant one, and his eyebrows knit in confusion as he studied his face. 

“Don’t I know you, boy?” Jafar drawled, eyes raking over Carlos’s features, landing on his snow-white curls.

Carlos rose to his feet, still angry. “Carlos de Vil, one of the ‘ _disappointments to villains everywhere,’_ you know, just like your _son_ was until a few minutes ago,” Carlos barked.

Recognition broke across Jafar’s face, and he, finally, took notice of the purple and blue-haired girls seated on the sofa. His signature sneer was unpleasant and screwed up his face uglily.

“Ah, yes, I remember _you_.”

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Carlos started hotly. “The person they were talking about on the news is _not_ who Jay _is_ , or who he _wants_ to be. Jay is a _good guy_.” Carlos punctuated this with a swift poke to Jafar’s chest, earning a warning glare from the other villain.

“Watch yourself, boy. Jay is who I _raised_ him to be—”

“He’s _not_! Stealing has _never_ made him happy, being _mean_ and _hurting people_ never made Jay happy, and you’d know that if you _cared_ for him even a _little bit_.” Carlos yelled through clenched teeth, seething.

“Carlos, _stop it_ —” Evie tried, yanking on his arm.

“I’m _warning_ you, child—” Jafar stalked forward.

“You should want what's best for _Jay_ , not what’s best for _you_ ,” Carlos allowed Evie to tug him backward then, following Mal, who had Celia tucked under one of her arms, towards the stairs. “ _Even villains should love their kids_!”

Jafar looked gobsmacked that Carlos _dared_ to speak to him in such a manner, but Carlos didn’t care, hoping he got his point across. Facilier raised an eyebrow in the background and waved to Celia, before returning to Jafar, who was spluttering.

Carlos didn’t get to see how the conversation ended.

Upon exiting the arcade, the VKs found they made the rookie mistake of leaving their bikes unattended. Cursing as Harry Hook and his merry band of pirates made off with them. Carlos and Evie took off over the rooftops in an attempt to cut the pirates off, while Mal and Celia had bigger fish to fry, needing to make their way to Hades lair. Mal was _dreading_ this part the most, not wanting anything more to do with Hades than was absolutely necessary, but she had a job to do.

They used the skeleton key Celia picked up from the arcade to unlock what looked like a sewer—a part of the Isle even Mal hadn’t seen before. A sign reading ‘ _Beware of Dog_ ’ hung ominously from the latched gate, and Mal swallowed. She’d heard rumors of Cerberus growing up—that Hades would feed trespassers to the three-headed hound should they be caught—so she steered clear. The two VKs snuck their way further down in Hades dungeon, riding a strange mine-cart contraption, hearing the loud, frightening growls and howls of the dog echoing through the tunnels.

They found Hades sprawled out over a sofa, sunglasses on, snoring. The ember sat delicately next to him on its perch, and Mal thought this might be the easiest thing she’d ever done. Like taking candy from a baby—only the ‘baby’ in question was the former God of the Underworld. So, maybe not exactly the same then. She crept closer, weaving behind the snoozing God, and she could almost feel the ember’s heat in her hand.

Until Hades snatched her wrist and held her in place. Mal cursed.

“What are you doing here?” Hades mumbled, not letting go. He turned over and faced her then, removing his sunglasses, showing off his vibrant blue eyes.

“Hi, Dad,” Mal said, and she could see Celia do a double-take out of the corner of her eye.

Hades wiggled his fingers at her in greeting. “Quite a show you put on the other day.”

“Right back at you.”

Hades smirked and stood up, taking the ember with him, twirling the blue colored stone around in his palms. “Hm. I was just coming to see you.” He said, still smiling.

Mal narrowed her eyes with a frown. “Really? Wonder why. Is it because I’m gonna be Queen?” She wondered aloud.

“Now, Mal, don’t be bitter.”

“You abandoned me when I was a baby—you know what? Nevermind, I don’t have time for this. I need that ember.” Mal marched up to where her father stood, fixing a scarf adorned with small skulls, in a mirror. She held out her hand, expectantly.

He looked at her with raised eyebrows, “Sorry, kid, the ember only works for me.”

“No, it’ll work for me. We’re _blood_ ,” Mal curled her fingers in a ‘ _gimme_ ’ gesture, and Hades kept the stone, turning it over and over in his hands. When he _still_ wouldn’t hand the blasted thing over, Mal huffed in exasperation. “Do you want to make up for being a _lousy_ dad?”

Hades eyed her skeptically. “You’re only _half_ Hades, the ember won’t do everything for you that it does for me,” He said before reluctantly placing the gem in her outstretched hand. It felt warm, almost alive against her skin. She closed her fist around the item of their salvation.

Now, she could save Auradon.

“It gets wet, and it’s _game over_ ,” Hades called after her as she and Celia left the dungeon, Mal spared a small backhanded wave in her father’s direction.

The VKs made their way to the barrier, thinking ahead to pack the remote to open the stupid thing before the journey. Carlos and Evie hadn’t managed to get their bikes back, Hook and his pirates were just too sneaky and cunning, so it looked like they were hoofing it back to Auradon. As the barrier was closing, there was a commotion of running, before two figures dove headlong through the small opening, before the wall sealed behind them. Harry and Gil stumbled to their feet, whooping and hollering with each other, pleased over their escape.

Mal’s day just couldn’t be easy. The Pirates announced that they were ‘just poppin’ over for a visit,’ which didn’t go over well. Carlos knocked into Harry, sending him reeling at Mal, dislodging the ember from her fingers. The gem bounced once, and Mal made a grab for it at the same time Harry did, but he was faster, and he made sure that the stone went flying out over the bridge.

“No!” Mal screamed as the ember descended towards the water. There went her only hope of saving Auradon, of stopping Jay.

A slimy blue tentacle shot out of the foamy waters, curling around the ember, before a figure in sea green burst from the waves. In all her sea-witch glory, covered in seashells and other oceanic baubles, Uma waved coyly at her boys on the bridge, grinning.

“Drop something?” Uma taunted.

Mal ordered. “It can’t get wet. Give it back before it goes out!”

Uma laughed, her head was thrown back and submerged once more, and Mal yelled out in frustration. A swirling spiral of water sprouted from the waves, splashing at the VKs and Pirates. There was a beat of silence as the group stared at the ocean.

Just then, Uma announced, “Hi, boys.”

“Uma!” Harry and Gil swarmed her, gushing over how much they missed her and peppering Uma with questions on where she’d been. Mal rolled her eyes as Uma explained about ‘coconuts’ and ‘giant fish.’ Honestly, they really didn’t have _time_ for this.

“Uma, I need that to break a spell,” Mal demanded, holding out her hand for the ember. Uma looked down at the offending little blue object in question and smirked.

“I might not give it back. We’ll see what happens.”

“People’s lives are in danger—” Mal started angrily.

Harry cut her off, though. “Hey, wait a minute, aren’t you three one idiot short?” He counted the three VKs, pausing briefly on Celia. Still, Harry didn’t really seem to care about her, before breaking out in a devilish grin. “Where’s _Jay_?”

A lump formed in Mal’s throat, and she noticed that neither Evie nor Carlos were looking directly at the pirates. It was strange being without Jay, they were usually inseparable, and it felt awful having him hate them.

Mal started, “Jay is—”

“—actually the _problem_ ,” Evie finished for her, and she was grateful.

Uma cackled, and Harry was beside himself with laughter, booming so loud it echoed off the clouds. Gil appeared a bit confused but giggled along with the others, nonetheless, not wanting to be left out of the joke.

“You’re kidding, right? What, did Jay finally come to his senses and _ditch you_?” Uma crowed, spinning the ember around in her grip.

Mal bristled. “ _No_. And it doesn’t matter what happened, all that matters is that he stole my mother’s scepter and cursed all of Auradon. I need that ember to _stop him_.”

Uma hooted, “Oh boy, Jay is the _worst_ person to have stolen that thing, well, aside from maybe _me_ , that is.” Her glee was _so_ irritating.

“Why’s that?” Carlos questioned, agitated.

“ _Seriously_? His father is the self-proclaimed ‘ _Greatest Sorcerer in the World_.’ What rock have you been living under?” Uma mocked, and Carlos sucked in a breath to retort.

Mal shushed them both. “It doesn’t matter! I need that ember back, so give it here.” Mal made a move for the stone, but Uma backed away, dangling the gem over the open water. Mal’s heart plummeted at the implication.

“ _Guarantee_ me that every single villain kid who wants to can get off the Isle.” Uma challenged, inching the ember even lower. She would drop it, Mal knew, and it would extinguish, then this whole escapade would’ve been for nothing.

She _couldn’t_ let that happen.

“Deal!” Mal screamed, lying through her teeth.

“Her word is _good_ ,” Evie agreed. 

Uma seemed satisfied with this, but still refused to hand over the ember, choosing to store in her shell necklace for ‘safekeeping.’ She didn’t trust Mal, a sentiment which Mal shared about the pirate, and would only give them ember back once Mal held up her end of the bargain. Mal was irritated, but accepted the Pirates help—they would’ve come along anyway. At least this way, she could keep an eye on Uma. After a spat about who was _actually_ in charge (it was Mal, despite Uma thinking _otherwise_ ), the group started across the bridge to Auradon.

Ben paced around his office, calling everyone he could think of to try and mitigate the current situation. Jay’s snake spell had taken over almost all of Auradon, changing anyone unlucky enough to be caught in its grasp. He ordered a few guards to begin a search for Jay himself to see if he had a list of demands. Perhaps they could bring him into custody until Fairy Godmother could get her wand. Ben unzipped his jacket and propped himself up on his elbows over his desk, feeling like a failure to his people. How could he have _let this happen_?

“Hey, _Benny-boo_.” Jay’s silky voice announced from behind, derisive.

Ben jumped clean out of his seat, taking sight of Jay leaning coolly against the doorframe that led to the balcony. The black of his clothes made his usually warm complexion strangely washed out, dark circles lingered under his eyes. Maleficent’s scepter hung lazily from his right hand, the crystal pulsating red with energy.

Ben took a moment to calm his breathing. “Jay…what happened to you?”

“Nothing, I’m living down to my _full potential_ , is all.” Jay shrugged and began snaking his way around Ben, slowly, stalking.

“This isn’t _you_ , Jay. You’re not a _bad guy_ ,” Ben tried again, turning and following Jay with his eyes. Jay slunk behind the wooden desk and paused, smiling wide, a twisted sort of look in his eyes that made Ben uncomfortable.

“Haven’t you heard? I’m the _baddest of them all_ , the worst villain to ever grace these lands,” Jay almost seemed proud of this fact, but the underlying note of hurt in his voice gave him away. “And it’s all thanks to _Chad_.” Jay ridiculed, and the scepter glowed viciously, casting vile red shadows across the room.

“Yeah, I heard about that,” Ben said.

"Did Mal _bother_ to tell you what he did? How he _ruined my life_ , and she was going to do _nothing_ about it," Jay asked, continuing his route around the desk, coming to a halt behind Ben again.

There was gentle ' _hum_ ' of untamed magic coming from the scepter that made Ben deeply unsettled. If he could keep Jay _calm_ , talk him down, maybe he could convince the young villain to relinquish the staff. Deep down, Ben knew that Jay's feelings were hurt, bruised by a situation that was out of his control, the scepter fueling the _evil delusions_ in his head. Ben could make this better, he _could_ help his friend.

He _had_ to.

Ben turned to Jay again, hands raised, submissive. "You're right, of course, Chad shouldn't get away with it. He should be punished for getting you in trouble." Ben paused, carefully watching Jay's face as he spoke. The scepter dimmed a little in brightness, the cruelty of the red jewel losing its vigor.

Jay eyed him suspiciously, and Ben inched _a little_ closer to the staff.

"Don't be the villain they _think_ you are, Jay. You're better than this, you chose _good_." Ben continued, hands outstretched, palms up. Jay appeared to be listening, the once vibrant and smoldering anger that lingered around the boy like a haze, disappeared. 

The scepter glimmered in Jay's grip, and he looked down at the evil object, pondering, strands of ruby hair falling over his eyes. Ben waited in bated breath.

"What's the point of choosing ' _good_ ,'" Jay started, raising his piercing gaze to Ben's face. The staff illuminated with renewed power. "When the ' _heroes_ ' can get away with _murder_ and no one bats an eye?"

Ben swallowed. "He won't, I _promise_. Fairy Godmother, and I will make sure Chad is punished." Ben rambled in a rush, _desperate_ to not lose the headway he'd made with Jay. "I'll put you back on the team, clear your name, everything will go back to the way it was."

"You'd do that?" Jay whispered, grip loosening on the scepter.

"Yes...just give me the scepter, and we'll _forgive_ you—"

That apparently was the _wrong_ thing to say, because suddenly Jay's face contorted in rage, his body _vibrating_ with anger. The staff radiated like a sun, magic sizzling off Jay's skin. His eyes blazed crimson in his fury.

" _You'll_ forgive _me_? I did _nothing_ wrong, I was _innocent_!" Jay bellowed, his grip white-knuckled around the knotted wood. "He _ruined my life_!"

"Jay, I know, I _promise_ —"

"No! You're nothing but a _hypocrite_ , Benny. Mal _spelled_ you to destroy all of Auradon, and what did you do with her?" Jay sneered. "Put a ring on her finger. Some _punishment_."

Ben's blood turned to _ice_.

Jay leaned in close, and the sinister red of the crystal stung Ben's eyes. "You know, I _was_ going to just put you to sleep. Lock you in a tower somewhere, be really _cliche_ about it to torment Mal." Jay cooed, breath tickling across Ben's cheek. "Now, though, I see that _sleeping is too good for you_!"

Jay spun the scepter once and expelled a beam of red magic, blasting Ben off his feet, sending him flying back beyond the desk. There was _shuddering roar_ and the sound of _cloth ripping_ , and Jay grinned maniacally at his handiwork. _Poetic justice_ , he thought. He paraded to the balcony doors, throwing them open with fanfare, as he strode out into the summer sun. Auradon sat along the horizon, _defenseless_ and _ripe for the taking_. Jay’s fingers twitched in anticipation.

Wasn’t that just the _biggest score_ in the world, especially for a _two-bit thief_ like him. Stealing an _entire_ kingdom. Auradon wanted a villain so severely? He was going to be one like they’d _never seen_. The scepter whispered in his brain, and the _delicious_ waves of power engulfed his senses. Jay raised the staff to the heavens, throwing his head back in hysterical glee. A bolt of red lightning descended across the kingdom, the evil spell doing its work.

_I put a spell on you, and now you’re mine!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not great, but it's something! Enjoy!


	6. Watch Your Back

“It _pains_ me to see you reduced to this, Chad,” Jay began, taking an enormous bite of a shiny red apple. He slid his eyes to the floor, where the young prince in question was currently scrubbing at nonexistent grime. “Oh, wait, no, it _doesn’t_. You look right at home down there in the dirt—just like your _mother_.”

Chad knelt on hands and knees at Jay's feet, a pair of heavy black shackles clamped tight around his wrists, a bucket of soapy water to his left. Jay's morning was going rather well if he did say so himself. Mal was currently a _hideous old hag_ , which pleased Jay to no end, Ben was getting in touch with his more _animalistic side_ , and Chad was shaping up to be an _excellent_ servant. All in all, Jay's spirits were _soaring_ , and he chuckled as he munched on his apple, lounging on the throne he'd conjured.

Chad dropped the soapy rag he was using back into the bucket of water, before drying his wet hands on the ratty apron he wore. He gazed at Jay with harrowed eyes, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. Chad looked nothing like the _arrogant, proud_ prince he once was. Jay had been _benevolent_ and _graced_ Chad with tattered rags befitting his station, and he looked on in wicked delight at Chad's subdued countenance. The blonde had his curls pulled back under a raggedy scarf, his posture _deflated_ as he knelt on the floorboards. Chad looked defeated, broken, and it was positively _magnificent_.

Jay twisted Maleficent's scepter between his thumb and pointer finger, watching as the crystal gleamed darkly in the light from the cottage window. He'd found this rickety old woodcutters cottage almost immediately after coming to Auradon, one day while he was exploring by himself. It didn't appear anyone had used it in a long, _long_ time, so Jay felt safe using it as his base of operations. The cabin was well out of the way, nestled securely in the woods, and hidden from the general populace. _No one_ would think to look for him here.

Chad cleared his throat from his place on the floor. "I've finished with the floor, Your _Evil-ness_ ," Chad said, struggling to his feet. His legs were numb and tingly, and he rubbed at them to get some feeling back.

Jay flicked the scepter minutely, causing the glass pitcher of lemonade perched on the dining table in the middle of the room to _explode_. Sticky, sweet liquid and shards of glass showered _everywhere_ , misting in the beams of sunlight. The lemonade dripped off the wooden table and puddled on the floor. Chad looked _horrified_.

"You missed a spot," Jay tittered.

Chad sunk back to his knees with a despondent cry, dragging the bucket and rag over to the mess. Jay observed Chad working for a moment longer, settling lower on the throne, before heaving a sigh. As _fun_ as it was torturing Chad, having him wait on him hand-and-foot, Jay was growing increasingly _bored_. Auradon was _his_ , and there was no one left to gloat to, yet the scepter still insisted that he could be doing _more_. Jay'd gotten his revenge, exacting retribution on Mal and Chad, the two people who'd _wronged_ him the most. What more was there to do?

Jay grumbled in the back of his throat, "Let's check on Mal, _shall we_? See how the old hag's doing." He sat up in his throne, curling his fingers around the scepter's red crystal, watching as it illuminated and swirled, forming an image.

"Hag?" Chad questioned, confused.

Jay ignored him, focused on the vision of Mal the scepter had produced, and what he saw made his blood _simmer_. He _expected_ to see a crippled beggar woman, hunched over and _miserable_ , but that wasn't the case. Mal seemed _perfectly fine_ , walking tall and upright, a youthful glow to her pale skin. No white hair, no wrinkles. Somehow, Mal had managed to break his spell, and Jay was _livid_.

Jay seethed, "How did Mal break my spell?" He rounded on Chad, who threw his hands up, cowering on the floor. The scepter pulsated in time with his heartbeat, fueling Jay's anger.

"I—I don't know!" Chad whimpered, trying to scramble backward as Jay advanced on him. "I've been here with _you_ the whole time!"

"C'mon, Chad, _think_ , where'd they go?" Jay thrust the glowing staff in Chad's face, and the blonde blanched, shaking his head wildly.

"I don't know, I _don't know_! If you let me _go_ , I can go and find out for you—" Chad proposed, clamping his mouth shut as the crystal glittered dangerously.

"You're not going _anywhere_ ," Jay decreed.

Jay turned his attention back to the image of Mal, watching as Carlos and Evie came into view, and the group huddled together. Flanked on Mal's right was little Celia, and the _unmistakable_ figures of Uma and her pirates—Harry and Gil—arguing over the best course of action. Jay rolled his eyes, so they went back to the Isle, he concluded. _That's_ how Mal broke his curse.

Well, he'd have to be more _creative_ next time.

Evie was getting tired of the bickering. Mal and Uma couldn't get along to save their lives, while Carlos had made it his personal mission to watch Harry like a hawk. He probably felt like he was doing Jay a favor by hounding the pirate, but Harry didn't look even a little threatened by the white-haired boy. In fact, Harry relished toying with Carlos, going out of his way to find new ways to be irritating. Only Gil seemed to be trying to make nice, though that's just how Gil was, naively friendly.

Evie hung back with Celia, watching as the young girl gushed over Auradon Prep, excited. Auradon Prep was a beautiful school— _was_ being the operative word. Once upon a time, when it wasn't inhabited by dozens and dozens of hissing, slithering cobras. Cobras that used to be _people_ ; Evie shuddered, Jay _would_ turn everyone into snakes. She _hated_ snakes.

"He's _definitely_ Jafar's son," Carlos observed, side-stepping over a huge snake. It raised its head and struck at Carlos' boot, narrowly missing, and Carlos shrieked, jumping out of the way.

Harry chortled, "It's nice to see Jay go back to his roots." He glided his fingers over his hook, smirking at the outraged expression on Carlos' face.

"This is _not_ Jay!" Carlos fired.

" _Heroes_ don't curse entire kingdoms," Harry retorted.

Evie rolled her eyes, stepping between the two boys before a knock-down, drag-out fight in the middle of the quad could happen. Uma scoffed from behind her, and she saw Mal pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration. They were never going to get anywhere if they couldn't get along for five minutes, and that wouldn't help Auradon or Jay.

"Guys! Can we not—" Evie began, stopping at the sound of rustling bushes and curses. The group went on the defensive, anticipating the worst, so they were wholly unprepared when a girl in bubblegum pink came stumbling out of the bushes that led to the forest. _Audrey_. At her heels was a scruffy brown dog, yapping at her, explaining that he ' _definitely_ knew Carlos was _this way_.'

Audrey noticed them and huffed, "There you are! I've been looking _everywhere_ for you." She threw her hands on her hips, trying to look imposing, but that was difficult with twigs and leaves sticking out of her blonde hair.

"Dude!" Carlos cried, rushing forward as the dog leaped into his arms, licking his face.

"Audrey, _what_ —" Mal began, and Uma raised a brow, confused as to who this chick even was.

"First, I went to your castle, but nobody was home," Audrey said, cutting her off. "Then, your dog found me and explained that you went back to the Isle, to ‘ _get help_ ' or whatever, I wasn't really listening." She continued. "So, I decided to come to the school, meet back up with Jane and Fairy Godmother, but I couldn't find them, _either_."

"We haven't found anyone that wasn't snake-ified, and the phone signal is out," Mal explained.

"Yes, I'm _aware_ of that," Audrey spat, and Mal glared.

Uma finally interjected, tired of being out of the loop. "Hold up. Who is this chick?" She kept glancing between Mal and Audrey, trying to piece everything together. Harry, to her right, smiled devilishly and winked in Audrey's direction, and Evie sighed.

"Uma, meet Audrey, Sleeping Beauty's daughter." Mal gestured between the two girls. "Audrey, this is Uma, daughter of Ursula."

"Ah, no wonder she's so _pink_ ," Uma mused.

" _She's_ standing right here."

Uma smirked, "I know."

"Can we get back to the situation at hand, _please_?" Evie pulled on Mal's arm, gesturing all around them at the many hissing creatures.

Mal nodded, purple hair bobbing. "Evie's right." _Thank goodness_ , Evie thought. "First things first, we need to find Ben." Evie didn't miss the way Audrey rolled her eyes to the back of her head.

"Look, since we're here, let's check the school," Uma suggested, already starting towards the towering castle, Harry and Gil trailing behind.

"No. Jay said he wanted to _hurt_ me, so I think it's safe to assume that he's gonna go for Ben and his castle next." Mal said, and Uma scoffed, crossing her arms. "That's where we'll go."

Uma challenged, "Says _who_?"

"Says _me_ ," Mal clarified.

" _Says you_ , and that's supposed to mean something to me?" Mal and Uma were practically on top of each other, glaring daggers, and Evie once again found herself having to play peacemaker. She forcibly pushed the two VKs apart, Uma brushing her off with a growl.

"Guys, _c'mon_ ," Evie begged.

"To the castle," Mal instructed, and with many disgruntled groans of protest, the gaggle of teens headed off.

Ben's castle was eerily deserted, save for the few blue and gold cobras lingering about, hissing quietly in the empty halls. They followed Dude as he led them down different corridors, following Ben's ' _very pungent cologne_ ,' he'd said. The VKs (plus Audrey) turned one corner and came face to face with a stone statue in the middle of the hall. It appeared to be a young girl, her lengthy hair tied back in a ponytail, mouth open in a nonexistent scream. Mal's heart nearly burst from her chest in shock.

Audrey clamped a hand over her mouth, "It's Melody."

Jay was _not_ messing around. First snakes, and now this? Mal's hands felt clammy, her heart beating so hard it hurt, worry filling up every pore in her body. They needed to find Ben, they needed to find Ben _right now_.

"Ben!" Mal cupped her hands and screamed, but the empty palace yielded nothing in return.

"Hold up. What's this?" Uma asked. She was little ways down the hallway, examining three long gashes carved into the wall. The group approached to get a better look. The picture that'd been hanging was ripped in half, shredded by some sort of _monster_. What else had Jay unleashed, Mal wondered, trailing her fingers over the jagged scratches.

"This way!" Dude announced, heading down another hallway with torn curtains.

They followed Dude a little further, entering a side room filled to the brim with shiny suits of armor. Mal called for Ben again, unsurprised when he didn't answer, he wasn't there. They should move on, Mal thought as she examined one of the knights.

"This is all your fault, you know," Audrey snarked, seated on the round pedestal in the middle of the room. Mal whipped around, eyes blazing in disbelief.

" _My fault_? How is this my fault?" Mal asked.

Audrey examined her manicure and shrugged. "All you had to do was _believe him_ , pull your head out of the clouds for two seconds. Consider there might be two sides to the story. Then maybe we'd know where Ben is now."

Uma eyed them both, amused at Mal's expense. "Wait, what?"

"It's more _complicated_ than that, and you know it, Audrey." Mal shot back, ignoring Uma and the pirates snickering in the background.

"It's _really_ not," Audrey said. "Has Jay ever given you a reason not to trust him?" Mal started to speak, but Audrey held her hand up, silencing the purple-haired girl. " _Especially_ over something so _important_ to him?"

"Why do you even care? You don't approve of us VKs." Mal was already feeling guilty enough over the whole ordeal, and Audrey was only making it worse. She knew Audrey had a point, hindsight was twenty-twenty, they said, but she couldn't go back and change it all now. All Mal could do was try to fix it, try and save Auradon.

"I _care_ because I didn't want to see you screw _someone else_ over, but alas, here we are." Audrey rose to her feet, fixing her pink romper, a smug smile in place.

Mal glared. "I was under _a lot_ of stress, okay? Hades tried to escape, and this one," She waved vaguely in Uma's direction. "was still on the loose. Jay just threw fuel on the fire." 

"Yeah, I bet you lost some sleep thinking about me on the loose," Uma teased merrily, pleased with herself. Harry and Gil sniggered from their place by Carlos, who, during the conversation, was looking progressively more like a kicked puppy. Mal had reached her peak though, dealing with Audrey's snark was enough, and she wasn't going to tolerate it from Uma.

Mal fixed Uma with a look. "No. Dragons don't really lose sleep. I wonder what fried octopus tastes like?" She mused, licking her lips. Uma breathed a laugh, getting ready to respond, but a peal of taunting laughter echoed throughout the room.

The group whipped around, finding Jay, in all his evil glory, standing at the entrance to the armory. Harry looked all too pleased with Jay's appearance, eyeing Maleficent's scepter in his hands, the crystal glimmering.

"Well, well, looks like I underestimated you, Mal," Jay cooed, twirling the scepter in his hands. His eyes were wild and a little unhinged, like he wasn't totally present.

"Uma! Give me the ember, _now_!" Mal reached for Uma, who batted her off, digging through her jacket for the stupid little blue rock. Carlos, Harry, and Gil rushed Jay, and he cackled, before blasting them across the room with a wave of red magic. The boys were sent crashing into the suits of armor, landing in a painful heap on the floor. Evie squealed, racing over to check on Carlos, as Celia helped Harry struggle to his feet, wavering. Gil rubbed at his head, complaining about a bruise forming. 

Carlos moaned, clutching his side. "Jay, bro, please _stop_..." He trailed off with a cough.

Jay didn't appear to have heard him, "You wanted a prince, Mal? How about a knight in shining armor?" Jay narrowed his brown eyes, sinisterly, "Or _knights_."

He banged the scepter to the floor, clouds of red magic wafting through the room, slipping between the cracks in the suits of armor. Mal watched in horror as the knights _shuddered_ , clanking, metal groaning as they came _alive_ , brandishing swords. Jay stomped his foot, and the suits _responded_ , clanging to the attention, marching at the VKs.

"Don't let them _leave_ ," Jay ordered the enchanted knights, then with a ' _swish_!' of the scepter, disappeared in a swirling fog of red mist, laughter following him into the void.

"Watch yer back!" Harry called, tossing a sword to Uma, and one to Gil.

Mal closed her green eyes, cursing her missed opportunity to stop Jay. With Evie, Carlos, and Audrey poised to her right, and Uma, Harry, and Gil stationed to her left, the knights _advanced_.

_The fate of Auradon was on the line_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Struggled a little with this one, I'll admit. I don't know if I'll leave it the way it is, or change it later. I wanted to get something out. Jay remains a drama king and hopefully, you enjoy!


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